Detachable securing mechanism for venetian blind lifting cords



y 8, 1952 P. MACHROLL 2,602,503

* DETACHABLE SECURING MECHANISM FOR VENETIAN BLIND LIFTING CORDS Filed April 24, 1948 Patented July 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT mm 'DETACHABLE SECURING MECHANISM FOR VENETIAN BLIND LIFTING CORDS Pascal Machroll, Oak Park, Ill. Application April 24, 1948, Serial No. 23,044

Claims. (01. 160-173) My invention relates to Venetian blinds and more particularly to an improved construction for suspending the lifting bars thereof from the lifting cords.

Venetian blinds conventionally include a series of spaced horizontal slats extending between two or more guide tape assemblies. Each guide tape assembly includes two vertical portions between which bridging tapes extend at equally spaced vertical distances, which bridging tapes act to sustain the slats in spaced horizontal positions when released. A lifting bar is attached to the guide tapes at the bottom of the blind and, in addition, is independently supported from two or more lifting cords which usually extend in vertical alignment with the guide tapes. When the blind is raised,- the lifting cords are pulled upwardly, thereby lifting the lifting bar and successively picking up the slats as the lifting bar. reaches the horizontal level of each.

Heretofore, each lifting cord has been attached to the lifting bar'by means of a knot which engages the wall defined by the enlarged portion of an openingextending vertically through the lifting bar to receive the lifting cord. Usually, the guide tapes extend underneath the bar to hide the knotted end ofthe cord to present an attractive appearance. This structure presents a serious problem when it is desired to clean the Venetian blind since it is generally impossible thoroughly to clean the blind without removing the various slats therefrom; Since removal of the slats requires withdrawal of the lifting cords therefrom, such cleaning has heretofore required removal of the guide tapes from the lifting bar, together with untying of the knot to permit withdrawal of the lifting cord.

In accordance with the present-invention, the foregoing difficulties heretofore associated with Venetian blinds are overcome by providing a readily removable assembly for attaching the lifting cords to the lifting bar. By opening the assembly of the present invention, each lifting cord may be withdrawn from the slats and a thorough cleaning conducted without the necessity of removing the guide tapes from the lifting bar or otherwise disassembling the unit.

It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved readily removable assembly for detachablysecuring a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetianblind. 7

Further, it is anobject of the present invention to providean' improved assembly for detachably securing a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a- Venetian blind, whichassembly incorporates a.

fastener attached to the lifting cord and which is capable of passing through the cord openings of the slats.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved assembly for detachably securing a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetian blind and which includes hooking ele ments permitting ready removal of the fastener when shifted and tilted relative to the lifting bar.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide improved fastener and bracket elements for use in an assembly for detachably securing a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetian blind.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved readily removable assembly for detachably securing a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetian blind and which may readily be installed on a conventional Venetian blind.

My invention further resides in features of construction, combination, and arrangement whereby an improved assembly for detachably securing a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetian blind is provided which is simple and inexpensive in construction and reliable in operation and does not detract from the pleasing appearance of the blind.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a Venetian blind assembly incorporating the mechanism of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of the assembly of Fig. 1;

Figure 3-is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through axis III-III, Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through axis IV-IV, Fig. 2;.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are side elevational top plan, and end elevational views respectively of the fastener of the present invention in the split or opened condition;

. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view through the aXis VIII-VIII, Fig. 5;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the bracket of the present invention; and 1 Figure 10 is an enlarged side elevational view of the assembly of the present invention and showing how the fastener is removed from the bracket thereof to detach the lifting cord from the lifting bar.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, there are shown fragmentary views of a Venetian blind incorporating the assembly of the present invention. This blind. includes a bottom or lifting bar 24 extending in a horizontal direction and which is supported by the spaced vertical lifting tapes 26 and by the lifting cord 25. A plurality of horiaontal spaced slats 29 are supported from the tapes 26 by the cross members or bridges 28 which comprise cloth tapes secured thereto or woven therewith. These bridges are uniformly spaced on the tapes 26 to support the slats 2 9 in uniform vertical spacing.

Each slat 29 is apertured, as indicated at 30, to receive freely the lifting cord 25 so that it may be raised and lowered without directly moving the slats. However, .as thelifting bar 2411s raised by the lifting cord 25, the top of the lifting bar 24 engages the lowermost bridge tape .28 to raise the lowermostslat29, and each slat, in turn, engages the bridge supporting the slat above it successively to lift'the slats.

While the accompanying drawing shows only a single set of guide tapes 2'6 and a single lifting cord 25, it will be understood that normally at least two of these assemblies are used to sustain and lift the lifting bar 24 and the slats 29.

The assembly .of the present invention includes a fastener portion II pinched on the end portion of the cord 25 and which is detachabl-y secured to the bracket 12 which, in turn, is attachedto the lifting bar 24.

The construction of the fasteners ill may be understood by reference to Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8. As will be evident from Fig. 5, the fastener comprises two semi-cylindrical shell portions and i6 defining a split barrel when compressed together. These semi-cylindrical portions terminate in inwardly extending teeth 13 and 14 respectively, which are best seen in the top plan view of Fig. 6. A bridge portion [:9 extends between the oppcsite ends of thesemi-cylindrical portionslB and H5 and defines the ears 11 extending in opposite directions in a plane perpendicular to. the axis of symmetry of the fastener.

The'fastener it may be stamped from relatively thin sheet metal and then formed to the shape indicated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8., thereby formin a unitary structure. Preferably, :it is made of relatively soft steel. When it is desired to attach the fastener to theend of the lifting cord 25, the semi-cylindrical portions 15 and it are squeezed together by a pliers or asimilar tool to cause teeth t3.and [4 to bite into :the cord 25 and securely hold the fastener to the cord.

It will be observed that the diameter .of the semi-cylindrical shell portions Hi and 16 of the fastener l l is sufficiently small-to permit-the cord 25 to be withdrawn without the'fastener H engaging. the edges of the openings ill!v provided in the slats 29 to receive cord 25. Moreover, the openings Snare elongated in the direction normal to the view of Fig. 2 to provide .ample space to passears l1.

The bracket 12 is preferably stamped from soft sheet steel. It includes a fiat, base portion 3|, Fig. 9, having an opening '32 to receive the=wood screw 23, Fig. 2, by which it is attachedito the lifting bar 24. The corners of 'the baseportim 3| are bent downwardly to define sharp points 2| which securely lock the bracket l2 to the-lifting bar 24 and prevent rotation of bracket l2 about screw 23.

A pair of spaced prongs 20 extend from the base portion 3| of the bracket 12. These prongs are spaced from each other and extend in aligned relationship to define a slot 33, Fig. 9, of sufficient width'to receive the bridge portion [9, Fig. '7, of the fastener ll. However, the prongs 20 are spaced sufficiently close together to overlie the ears l1, Fig. 7, of the fastener l I when the bridge portion l9 thereof is received within the slot 33.

As best shown in Fig. 10, the prongs 20 are each bent-over to define aligned hooks against which the ears I! rest. These hooks permit rocking movements of the lifting bar 24 relative to the fastener II to maintain the cord 25 in a proper centering position as the lifting bar 24 is tilted.

In applying the bracket l2, the screw 23 is fastened inposition to align the slot 33 with the cord 25 tocause fastener H naturally to assume an upright position.

As shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 10, the fastener ll may be detached from the bracket 12 by tilting the fastener H to alignment with the end portion of the prongs 20 and then -shift ing the fastener Hto a position wherein the ears l1 no longer underlie the prongs 20. Alternatively, the lifting bar 24 may be tilted to align the ends of the prongs 20 with the bottom portion of the fastener H and then shifted to withdraw the bridge portion 19 and fastener H from the slot 33 of the bracket l2.

With the assembly of the. present invention, it is very simple to convert a conventional Venetian blind to an improved Venetian blind whereinthe lifting cords are detachably secured to the lifting bar. This maybe done with the blind fully extended and with the guide tapes 25 serving to support the lifting bar 24. The cord 25 is detached from the lifting bar 24, as, for example, by severing the bottom portion thereof. The bracket 12 can then be screwedto the lifting bar 24 and fastener 41 clamped over the end portion of the lifting cord 25 to cause the teeth 13 and 14 securely to grip that cord. The assembly is completed by sliding the bridge portion H! of the fastener ll into the :slot 33.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View of the cord 2 5 at the point the teeth I3 and i4 bite .into that cordwhen the fastener -l l isclosed.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications both in the various parts and in their cooperative structure may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. 1,.of course, contemplate by the appended-claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is: I

1..A fastener for use with -a Venetianblind of the type "having -.a lifting cord and a lifting .bar having a bracket .defining prongs spaced from each other and from said bar, said fastener-comprising a-split barrel h arving teeth at one-end to bite into a cord,; and a bridge on the opposite end, said :bridge .having ears extending' in opposite directions in-a horizontal .plane and adapted to underlie the prongs and engage the prongs to liftsaidbar." j r r 2. 'A-bracket for use with aiVenetian-blindhaving a lifting bar and a lifting cord terminating in a fastener having ears extending in opposite directions in a plane parallel to said bar, said bracket comprising a plate having an opening to receive a screw for attachment to a lifting bar.

tener having ears extending in opposite directions in a horizontal plane, and a bracket adapted to be attached to a lifting bar for cooperative engagement with said fastener, said bracket comprising a plate having an opening to receive a screw for attachment to said bar and locking spurs to bite into said bar, said bracket further having spaced prongs defining a slot to receive said bridge of said fastener and bent over to define aligned hooks curved upward centrally of their lengths to overlie said ears for engagement therewith to lift said bar.

4. In an assembly for detachably securing the lower end of a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetian blind, a fastener adapted to be attached to the end of a cord and defining a pair of ears extending in opposite directions in a horizontal plane, and a bracket adapted to be attached to a lifting bar and having spaced bentover prongs defining aligned hooks curved upward centrally of their lengths to receive said fastener and overlie the ears thereof to sustain said bar.

5. In an assembly for detachably securing the lower end of a lifting cord to the lifting bar of a Venetian blindof the type having spaced slats with cord-receiving openings, the assembly comprising a'fastener adapted to be attached to the end of a cord and defining ears extending in opposite directions in a horizontal plane, said fastener being of size capable Of passing through said openings, and a bracket adapted to be attached to a lifting bar and having prongs curved upward centrally of their lengths and spaced from each other and from said bar defining a slot to receive said fastener and overlie the ears thereof to sustain said bar.

PASCAL MACHROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,408,212 Leinbach Feb. 28, 1922 2,100,648

Lawson Nov. 30, 1937 

